The Book Pertaining to the Turmoil and Portents of the Last Hour

Zainab bint Jahsh reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) got up from sleep saying: There is no god but Allah; there is a destruction in store for Arabia because of turmoil which is at hand, the barrier of Gog and Magog has opened so much. And Sufyan made a sign of ten with the help of his hand (in order to indicate the width of the gap) and I said: Allah's Messenger, would we be perished in spite of the fact that there would be good people amongst us? Thereupon he said: Of course, but only when the evil predominates.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zainab bint Jahsh with a slight variation in the chain of transmitters.

Zainab bint Jahsh, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), reported that one day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came out in a state of excitement with his face quite red. And he was saying: There is no god but Allah; there is a destruction in store for Arabia beciuse of the turmoil which is near at hand as the barrier of Gog and Magog has been opened like it, and he (in order to explain it) made a ring with the help o his thumb and forefinger. I said: Allah's Messenger, would we be destroyed despite the fact that there would be pious people amongst us? He said: Yes, when the evil would predominate.

This hadith has been narrated oil the authority of Zuhri with a different chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Today the wall (barrier) of Gog and Magog has been opened so much, and WUhaib (in order to explain it) made the figure of ninety with the help of his hand.

Harith b Abi Rabi'a and 'Abdullah b. Safwan both went to Umm Salama, the Mother of the Faithful, and they asked her about the army which would be sunk in the earth, and this relates to the time when Ibn Zubair (was the governor of Mecca). She reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said that a seeker of refuge would seek refuge in the Sacred House and an army would be sent to him (in order to kill him) and when it would enter a plain ground, it would be made to sink. I said: Allah's Messenger, what about him who would be made to accompany this army willy nilly? Thereupon he said: He would be made to sink along with them buf he would be raised on the Day of Resurrection on the basis of his intention. Abu Ja'far said. ' This plain, ground means the plain ground of Medina.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Rufai, with the same chain of transmitters (but with the addition of these words): " When I met Abu Ja'far I told him that she (simply) meant the plain ground. Thereupon Abu Ja'far said: No, by God, she meant the plain ground of Medina.

Abdullah b. Safwan reported that Hafsa told him that she had heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: An army would attack this House in order to fight against the inhabitants of this House and when it would be at the plain ground the ranks in the centre of the army would be sunk and the vanguard would call the rear flanks of the army and they would also be sunk and no flank would be left except some people who would go to inform them (their kith and kin). A person (who had been listening to this badith from Abdullah b. Safwan) said: I bear testimony in regard to you that you are not imputing a lie to Hafsa. And I bear testimony to the fact that Hafsa is not telling a lie about Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him).

Abdullah b. Safwan reported the Mother of the Faithful as saying that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: They would soon seek protection in this House, viz. Ka'ba (the defenceless), people who would have nothing to protect themselves in the shape of weapons or the strength of the people. An army would be sent to fight (and kill) them and when they would enter a plain ground the army would be sunk in it. Yiisuf (one of the narrators) said: It was a people of Syria (hordes of Hajjaj) who had been on that day comin. towards Mecca for an attack (on 'Abdulllah b. Zubair) and Abdullah b. Safwan said: By God, it does not imply this army.

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was startled in the state of sleep. We said: Allah's Messenger, you have done something in the state of your sleep which you never did before, Thereupon he said: Strange it is that some, people of my Ummah would attack the House (Ka'ba) (for killing) a person who would belong to the tribe of the Quraish and he would try to seek protection in the House. And when they would reach the plain ground they would be sunk. We said: Allah's Messenger, all sorts of people throng the path. Thereupon he said: Yes, there would be amongst them people who would come with definite designs and those who would come under duress and there would be travellers also, but they would all be destroyed through one (stroke) of destruction. though they would be raised in different states (on the Day of Resurrection). Allah would, however, raise them according to their intention.

Usama reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) climbed up a battlement amongst the battlements of Medina and then said: You do not see what I am seeing and I am seeing the places of turmoil between your houses as tile places of rainfall.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There will be soon a period of turmoil in which the one who sits will be better than one who stands and the one who stands will be better than one who walks and the one who walks will be better than one who runs. He who would watch them will be drawn by them. So he who finds a refuge or shelter against it should make it as his resort.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira but with this variation of wording that in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr, there is an addition of these words: " There is a prayer among prayers ('Asr) and one who misses it is as if his family and property have been ruined."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would be turmoil and the one who would sleep would be better than who would be awake and the one who would be awake would be better than one who would stand and one who would stand would be better than one who would run. So he who finds refuge or shelter should take that refuge or shelter.

Abu Bakra reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would soon be turmoil. Behold! there would be turmoil in which the one who would be seated would be better than one who would stand and the one who would stand would be better than one who would run. Behold! when the turmoil comes or it appears, the one who has camel should stick to his camel and he who has sheep or goat should stick to his sheep and goat and he who has land should stick to the land. A person said: 'Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion about one who has neither camel nor sheep nor land? Thereupon, he said: He should take hold of his sword and beat its edge with the help of stone and then try to find a way of escape. O Allah, I have conveyed (Thy Message) ; O Allah, I have conveyed (Thy Message) ; O Allah, I have conveyed (Thy Message). A person said: Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion it I am drawn to a rank in spite of myself, or in one of the groups and made to march and a man strikes with his sword or there comes an arrow and kills me? Thereupon he said: He will bear the punishment of his sin and that of yours and he would be one amongst the denizens of Hell.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Waki' with a slight variation of wording.

Ahnaf b. Qais reported: I set out with the intention of helping this person (Hadrat 'Ali) that Abu Bakra met me. He said: Ahnaf, where do you intend to go? I said: I intend to help the cousin of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), viz. 'Ali. Thereupon he said to me: Ahnaf, go back, for I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When two Muslims confront one another with swords (in hands) both the slayer and the slain would be in Fire. He (Ahnaf) said: I said, or it was said: Allah's Messenger, it may be the case of one who kills. but what about the slain (why he would be put in Hell-Fire)? Thereupon he said: He also intended to kill his companion.

Ahnaf b. Qais reported on the authority of Abu Bakra that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: When two Muslims confront each other with their swords, both the slayer and the slain are doomed to Hell-Fire.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hammad through another chain of transmitters.

Abu Bakra reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When two Muslims (confront each other) and the one amongst them attacks his brother with a weapon, both of them are at the brink of Hell-Fire. And when one of them kills his companion, both of them get into Hell-Fire.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) many ahadith and one of them was this: The last Hour will not come until the two parties (of Muslims) confront each other and there is a large-scale massacre amongst them and the claim of both of them is the same.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last Hour will not come unless there is much bloodshed. They said: What is harj? Thereupon he said: Bloodshed. bloodshed.

Thauban reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah drew the ends of the world near one another for my sake. And I have seen its eastern and western ends. And the dominion of my Unimah would reach those ends which have been drawn near me and I have been granted the red and the white trea- sure and I begged my Lord for my Ummah that it should not be destroyed because of famine, nor be dominated by an enemy who is not amongst them to take their lives and destroy them root and branch, and my Lord said: Muhammad, whenever I make a decision, there is none to change it. Well, I grant you for your Ummah that it would not be destroyed by famine and it would not be dominated by an enemy who would not be amongst it and would take their lives and destroy them root and branch even if all the people from the different parts of the world join hands together (for this purpose), but it would be from amongst them, viz. your Ummah, that some people would kill the others or imprison the others.

Thauban reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said. Verily, Allah drew the ends of the world near me until I saw its cast and west an He bestowed upon me two treasures, the red and the white. The rest of the hadith is the same.

'Amir b. Sa'd reported on the authority of his father that one day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came from a high, land. He passed by the mosque of Banu Mu'awiya, went in and observed two rak'ahs there and we also observed prayer along with him and he made a long supplication to his Lord. He then came to us and said: I asked my Lord three things and He has granted me two but has withheld one. I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed because of famine and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed by drowning (by deluge) and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that there should be no bloodshed among the people of my Ummah. but He did not grant it.

Amir b. Sa'd reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came with a group of his Companions and he passed by the mosque of Banu Mu'awiya. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman reported: By Allah, I have the best knowledge amongst people about every turmoil which is going to appear in the period intervening me and the Last Hour; and it is not for the fact that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) told me something confidentially pertaining to it and he did not tell anybody else about it, but it is because of the fact that I was present in the assembly in which he had been describing the turmoil. and he especially made a mention of three turmoils which would not spare anything and amongst these there would be turmoils like storms in the hot season. Some of them would be violent and some of them would be comparatively mild. Hudhaifa said: All (who were present) except I have gone (to the next world).

Hudhaifa reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood before us one day and he did not leave anything unsaid (that he had to say) at that very spot which would happen (in the shape of turmoil) up to the Last Hour. Those who had to remember them preserved them in their minds and those who could not remember them forgot them. My friends knew them and there are certain things which slip out of my mind, but I recapitulate them when anyone makes a mention of them just as a person is lost from one's mind but is recalled to him on seeing his face.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters up to the words: And he forgot who had to forget that and. he did not make a mention of what follows after this.